Pittwater Life April 2017 Issue

Grevillea treat
Give the birds a treat and
plant a grevillea in the garden.
Robyn Gordon (above) is still
one of the best bird-attracting
shrubs.
Winter colour
The rain has finished off the
summer annuals. Pull them
out now and plant pansies and
violas, polyanthus and primula,
poppies and snapdragons,
alyssum and cineraria,
calendula and verbena, for a
colourful winter garden.
Grow veggies
As soon as the wet weather
ends plant winter crops in
the veggie patch. Cabbages,
Brussels sprouts, cauliflowers,
broccoli, peas, spinach, carrots,
spring onions, strawberries,
seed potatoes and
Chinese cabbage can all go in
now.
Snail watch
Protect new seedlings from
the slugs and snails that are
everywhere after the wet
month of March. Be careful
with snail pellets that
will harm pets and wildlife.
Saucers of beer placed in the
garden will attract snails and
slugs – what a way to go!
Tale of the tapes
Seed tapes are an easy way to
sow fine seed. Water the soil
with a fine spray until the seed
germinates. Plant a strip each
week to stagger the crops.
Army worm
Aerate and improve the drainage
of your lawn with a garden
fork or a spiked roller that can
be hired before watering with
Eco Neem. Army worm will be
on the march after the rain.
Eco Neem will control them
and is completely organic.
Time for sweet
peas
It is not too late to plant sweet
peas. Be sure to give the
seedlings a lattice or bamboo
support to climb up, or grow
dwarf varieties in pots and
baskets.
‘Turn on’ bulbs
Garden Centres are full of
enticing packets of spring
bulbs. It is time to plant them
now. It is tempting to try all
the different varieties, but
mass planting of one variety
looks much better when the
bulbs come into flower. Look
for early flowering varieties.
Narcissus and jonquils grow
better in our climate than
daffodils. Tulips look great
for the first year but they very
rarely re-flower the following
season.
Pest tips
Caterpillars can decimate a
shrub overnight. Yates Success
will control them. Also, watch
out for the white cabbage
moth – light shade cloth
over new seedlings will
protect them.
Under pressure
Moss and mildew are
everywhere. Beware of
slippery pavers and footpaths.
Chlorine will clean the mildew
away but the fumes can burn
the plants nearby. A highpressure
water jet is the
easiest way to clean up.
Crossword solution from page 67
Mystery Word: SAND POINT
Garden Life
Masked marauders swooping
The Masked Lapwing – aka
Plover – with its over-protective
parenting and haunting
late night calls, is
making some residents
a little nervous
at the moment.
A spokesperson for
the Foundation for National
Parks & Wildlife
said while usually very
shy, you can expect
to see the Masked Lapwing
nesting and increasing their
defensive behaviour over the
coming weeks.
‘There will be more swooping
at park visitors and
making a racket if you get too
close to their nest or babies,
but you’ll be pleased to know
that they rarely make contact
with you – it’s all just a part of
their performance.”
Masked Lapwings are a
great “backyard
buddy” as they will
remove all sorts of
insects from your
lawn, giving some
protection against
pests like army grubs,
mole crickets and
lawn beetles.
Backyard Buddies is a free
program run by Australia’s
Foundation for National Parks
& Wildlife with information
and tips to make your backyard
inviting and safe for native
animals. A new logo and
website (www.backyardbuddies.org.au)
will be launched
this month. – LO
Celebrating 25 Years
APRIL 2017 71